South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo resigns after World Cup qualifying exit

Hong Myung-bo, the head coach of the South Korean national football team, has stepped down following the team's failure to advance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The resignation comes after a disappointing performance that saw the team eliminated from the group stage.

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I am truly sorry to the people of Korea who love Korean football and always support the national team. We ultimately failed to show the results you expected. The responsibility for that rests entirely with me, the coach. I intend to step down as the national team coach today.

In a press conference held at the team's base camp in Guadalajara, Mexico, Hong expressed his deep apologies to the South Korean public for not achieving the expected results. "The responsibility for not being able to show the results you expected rests entirely with me, the coach," he stated, announcing his decision to resign from his position. His contract was set to run until the 2027 Asian Cup.

The team's exit from the tournament, which expanded to 48 teams, was met with criticism, especially after a crucial 0-1 loss to South Africa in their final group match, a game where a draw would have been sufficient to qualify. This result intensified public pressure on Hong, who also resigned after a poor showing at the 2014 Brazil World Cup.

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The position of national team coach was by no means an easy decision for me. I believed that fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to me until the end was the only thing I had to do. While I cannot say that all my judgments were always right, the standard for all my judgments has always been Korean football.

Team leader Park Hang-seo also apologized for the team's performance, acknowledging that despite their best efforts, they failed to meet the nation's expectations. He assured that the Korea Football Association would undertake significant reflection and reform to prepare for the future.

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We deeply apologize for the results that did not meet the public's expectations in the World Cup. We did our best to prepare for the tournament, but we failed to achieve results that would repay the public's support. The Korea Football Association will reflect and reform thoroughly to prepare for the future.